In the Spotlight: Pass a consensus immigration bill before summer’s end

Monday

Jun 30, 2014 at 12:01 AMJun 30, 2014 at 10:59 AM

In the summer months of an election year, the conventional wisdom is that legislation not passed by August will be pushed back until after the November election.

While Congress is currently working on necessary appropriation bills, action on a long-awaited tax reform proposal and funding mechanisms for the recently passed Water Resources Development Act both appear to be shelved until after the elections.

However, the most conspicuous national issue that has been put into indefinite cold storage is immigration reform. The Senate passed immigration reform months ago but the Republican House leadership has decided not to take up the issue.

This tactic of running out the clock is so frustrating because both parties agree on so much regarding immigration reform. Both parties agree our country needs a new guest worker program. Both parties agree, more or less, that undocumented immigrants brought to this country as minors should be given legal status and a pathway to citizenship. Both parties agree that foreign students who earn degrees from U.S. universities in science, technology, engineering or math should receive green cards so they can use their education to benefit the U.S. economy. Both parties agree there should be more visas available for workers with special skills that American companies cannot find domestically.

The two biggest disagreements remaining concern what the pathway to citizenship should look like and the degree of border security. But common ground already exists on a path to legal status. Can we not at least pass this summer the policies on which both parties agree?

One creative solution could yet bring action. There is a bipartisan group of House lawmakers who support a reform to the House rules that would allow members to bypass leadership and bring a measure to the floor by majority vote. If this rule change were proposed and approved, House members could conceivably bring whatever immigration measure the Judiciary Committee approves to the House floor for a vote.

A rules change is doing things the hard way, though it may be just the prescription needed for such a gridlocked Congress. Alternatively, Illinois Republicans Adam Kingzinger and Aaron Schock both recently gave impassioned presentations on their support for immigration reform at a Chicago rally in April. If they, or other Illinois Republican House members, are prepared to lead an effort to pass immigration reform yet this summer, please act now. August is coming.

Darrel Miller is a farmer and the Democratic nominee for the 18th Congressional District seat. He lives in Danvers.